Dozens of cats, piles of debris found in retired teacher's home

Santa Ana residents Alfonso Espinoza and Mary Campa rearrange a growing sidewalk memorial for Rita Corpin, a 72-year-old woman who died of natural causes Tuesday night. Campa, who has lived two houses away for 53 years, said she and several neighbors left flowers at the site in memory of their neighbor. BRUCE CHAMBERS, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

SANTA ANA – Animal control officials worked Wednesday to trap more than 60 feral cats roaming three homes owned by a 72-year-old woman who died of natural causes Tuesday night.

The property in the 1400 block of South Rosewood Avenue where she was found was barely passable because of large amounts of trash and overgrown plants, Capt. Steve Concialdi of the Orange County Fire Authority said.

Firefighters responded about 10:20 p.m. to the home after receiving a 911 call that a woman appeared to have died.

When they arrived, firefighters had to crawl through the yard to get to the woman, who was sitting outside in a chair with a kitten in a pet carrier on her lap, Concialdi said. She was pronounced dead at the scene, and no foul play is suspected, he said.

The Orange County Coroner’s office identified her as Rita Corpin.

A Fire Authority hazardous materials team also responded to search the home, Concialdi said.

“There was so much debris, overgrown vegetation, a very large amount of trash,” he said.

HOARDING CONDITIONS

Officials believe Corpin had been living in a truck in her driveway because of hoarding conditions in the home, Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said. She lived alone with two dogs and also fed a large number of stray cats, he said. Because of large obstructions in the yard, taking the body from the property took several hours, he said.

On Wednesday, animal control officers checked two other Santa Ana homes owned by Corpin for animals in distress, Bertagna said. No animals were found inside the homes, but she appeared to have fed stray cats outside daily at all three locations, he said.

WORLD HISTORY TEACHER

In 2011, the Register interviewed Corpin at a Thanksgiving Day event in Anaheim. She said she was recently retired from decades of teaching world history at La Quinta High School in Westminster.

Garden Grove Unified School District spokeswoman Amy Stevens confirmed that Corpin had taught at La Quinta prior to her retirement.

She told a reporter at that time that she was thankful for the return of her cat that had been missing and added she loved the lively atmosphere and music of the event.

FINES ISSUED IN PAST

That year was also the last time Santa Ana officials contacted her regarding the state of her property. Officials had a total of 26 contacts with Corpin at her three properties over the years and issued warning notices as well as fines, city spokeswoman Tanya Lyon said. Corpin denied the city access to her property, Lyon said, and she made minimal changes to comply that kept officials from forcing an inspection through a warrant.

In recent years, the Orange County Task Force on Hoarding has brought agencies from the Fire Authority to Adult Protective Service to educate the community and intervene in situations where cluttered homes pose a safety risk.

Fire Inspector Darren Johnson, a member of the task force’s executive committee, said the group had not had contact with the woman.

“I wish we would have known about this,” he said. “We probably could have salvaged her.”

The group reaches out to hoarders in an effort to change their behavior, he said, an approach that can be more effective than traditional enforcement.

‘PATIENCE ... WORKS’

“Patience is the only thing that works with hoarders, and getting them to understand the situation they’re in,” he said.

Often, hoarders are educated people who are passionate about the items they collect, he said. Slowly, they lose control and perspective on the clutter, he said. When doorways are blocked, combustible materials pile up and animal or human waste is present, the homes present a major hazard to the residents and their neighbors, he said.

“It becomes normal to them, and then they just live like that until someone makes a complaint,” he said.

Anyone concerned about a possible hoarding situation can reach the Fire Authority at 714-573-6000 for more information on resources, Johnson said.

Related Links

Santa Ana residents Alfonso Espinoza and Mary Campa rearrange a growing sidewalk memorial for Rita Corpin, a 72-year-old woman who died of natural causes Tuesday night. Campa, who has lived two houses away for 53 years, said she and several neighbors left flowers at the site in memory of their neighbor. BRUCE CHAMBERS, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
A woman in her early 70s was found dead of natural causes Tuesday night in Santa Ana. The property in the 1400 block of South Rosewood Street was barely passable because of large amounts of trash and overgrown plants, Capt. Steve Concialdi of the Orange County Fire Authority said. BRUCE CHAMBERS, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
A note that reads "R.I.P Ms. Corpin - Steve (UPS) LQHS Class of '89" was handwritten on a UPS notice. Rita Corpin, 72, was retired from decades of teaching world history at La Quinta High School in Westminster. BRUCE CHAMBERS, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Flowers and and a cross were left on the sidewalk for Rita Corpin, a 72-year-old woman who died of natural causes Tuesday night. Mary Campa, who has lived two houses away for 53 years, said she and several neighbors left the flowers at the site in memory of their neighbor. BRUCE CHAMBERS, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Firefighters responded about 10:20 p.m. Tuesday to the home after receiving a 911 call that a woman appeared to have died. When they arrived, they had to crawl through the yard to get to the woman, who was sitting outside in a chair with a kitten in a pet carrier on her lap, Capt. Steve Concialdi of the Orange County Fire Authority said. She was pronounced dead at the scene, and no foul play is suspected, he said. BRUCE CHAMBERS, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
A cat lies among the trash and overgrown plants Wednesday in the front yard of a Santa Ana home where Orange County Fire Authority firefighters on Tuesday found a woman dead of natural causes. BRUCE CHAMBERS, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
On Wednesday, a pickup in front of the property was filled with personal belongings and the truck bed held several bags of dried cat food. BRUCE CHAMBERS, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
A pickup in front of the property was filled with personal belongings and the truck bed held several bags of dried cat food. BRUCE CHAMBERS, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
On Wednesday, a cat lies in front yard of a Santa Ana home where firefighters found a woman in her early 70s dead of natural causes Tuesday. BRUCE CHAMBERS, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
A man who identified himself as David, the brother of the woman who apparently died in filthy conditions, closes the front gate to his sister's front yard Wednesday. Capt. Steve Concialdi of the Orange County Fire Authority said the property in the 1400 block of South Rosewood Avenue was barely passable because of large amounts of trash and overgrown plants. BRUCE CHAMBERS, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Santa Ana Police Department Cmdr. Ken Gominsky Jr., right, talks with a man Wednesday who identified himself as David, the brother of the women found dead Tuesday night outside a Santa Ana home whose yard was filled with trash and overgrown plants. The woman at left is unidentified. BRUCE CHAMBERS, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Wednesday morning, Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna talks with a man who identified himself as David, the brother of the woman found dead Tuesday outside her home in the 1400 block of South Rosewood Avenue. The property was barely passable because of large amounts of trash and overgrown plants, Capt. Steve Concialdi of the Orange County Fire Authority said. BRUCE CHAMBERS, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Orange County coroner's officials remove the body of a woman found dead in a trash-strewn yard late Tuesday in the 1400 block of South Rosewood Avenue in Santa Ana. KEVIN WARN, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Two dogs sit in the back of a Santa Ana police vehicle after a woman was found deceased in a yard among overgrown plants and large piles of trash late Tuesday in the 1400 block of South Rosewood Avenue in Santa Ana. Animal control officials were working Wednesday to track down more than 40 cats roaming the residential property. KEVIN WARN, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
The Orange County Fire Authority had to use hazmat gear after a woman was found deceased in a yard in Santa Ana on Tuesday. KEVIN WARN, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
The property in the 1400 block of South Rosewood Street was barely passable because of large amounts of trash and overgrown plants, said Capt. Steve Concialdi of the Orange County Fire Authority. KEVIN WARN, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
The Orange County Fire Authority had to tow away this truck to enter a home after a woman was found dead in a yard in Santa Ana. KEVIN WARN, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Orange County Fire Authority officials had to use protective gear after a woman was found dead in a yard among piles of trash late Tuesday in Santa Ana. KEVIN WARN, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
An Orange County coroner's official prepares to remove the body of a woman found dead in a yard in Santa Ana. KEVIN WARN, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
The Orange County Fire Authority had to tow away this truck to enter a home after a woman was found dead in a yard among piles of trash late Tuesday in Santa Ana. KEVIN WARN, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Orange County Fire Authority and Orange County sheriff's officials investigate after a woman was found dead in a yard in Santa Ana on Tuesday night. KEVIN WARN, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
A woman was found dead in the yard of a Santa Ana home, surrounded by massive piles of trash and overgrown plants. KEVIN WARN, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Firefighters responded about 10:20 p.m. to the home after receiving a 911 call that a woman appeared to have died. When they arrived, they had to crawl through the yard to get to the woman, who was sitting outside in a chair with a kitten in a pet carrier on her lap, Capt. Steve Concialdi of the Orange County Fire Authority said. She was pronounced dead at the scene, and no foul play is suspected, he said. BRUCE CHAMBERS, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
A cat lies among the trash and overgrown vegetation Wednesday in the front yard of a Santa Ana home where Orange County Fire Authority firefighters found a woman in her early 70s dead of natural causes Tuesday. BRUCE CHAMBERS, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Wednesday morning, Santa Ana Police Department Commander Ken Gominsky Jr., center, talks with a man who identified himself as David, left, the brother of the women found dead Tuesday night outside a Santa Ana home filled with trash and covered by overgrown vegetation. The woman at left is unidentified. Santa Ana Community Preservation coordinator Alvaro Nunez listens in, right. BRUCE CHAMBERS, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
A pickup in front of the property was filled with personal belongings and the truck bed held several bags of dried cat food Wednesday. BRUCE CHAMBERS, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
A camper shell window reveals that the back of a pickup in the driveway of the property was also filled with bags Wednesday. BRUCE CHAMBERS, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Pathways are carved through vegetation and trash at the home of a woman in her early 70s who was found dead of natural causes Tuesday night. Her Santa Ana property was barely passable because of large amounts of trash and overgrown plants, officials said. BRUCE CHAMBERS, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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